The ChariTree Foundation is excited to partner with UNICEF and The FirstLine Foundation to help grow climate education + tree planting opportunities for children and youth in Mongolia.
A recent International Monetary Fund report revealed that Mongolia is warming at a rate three times faster than that seen anywhere else on the globe. Many of the devastating impacts of unchecked climate change will be felt by children and The ChariTree Foundation Foundation would like to help children in Mongolia to be better prepared to survive and thrive in their ever-changing world.
“When I was little, we never experienced yellow dust storms or migratory sand dunes. However, in recent years, such phenomena increased in our province. When the sandstorms happen, the daytime becomes as dark as night, and the dust becomes so thick that we cannot see the people in front of us,” explained Mungunzul, 16, when asked to provide examples of how climate change is affecting her life. She lives with her parents and four siblings in Sumber soum of Gobi-Sumber, the smallest province in Mongolia which faces extreme weather conditions with temperatures spanning from +40 degrees Celsius to – 40 degrees and harsh sandstorms.
Air, soil and water pollution are major threats to child survival and development in Mongolia. The ChariTree Foundation commends the UNICEF team and teachers in Mongolia for understanding the important impact of formal and informal climate education projects for kids dealing with growing threats caused by climate change, environmental degradation and air pollution.
“Let’s give children and youth in Mongolia opportunities to survive and thrive while contributing positively to their ever-changing world.” – Andrea Koehle Jones, United Nations Climate Observer, Founder, The ChariTree Foundation and Co-Founder, The FirstLine Foundation. She is also donating copies of her children’s tree planting book (The Wish Trees: How Planting Trees Can Help Make the World a Better Place) to teachers working on this environmental education program in Mongolia.
The ChariTree Foundation is happy to support the following actions to scale up the One Billion Trees program in schools:
1. a tree planting curriculum taught by a teacher in every school on the plantation cycle from seeds to fruits or product
2. a green house where they can grow vegetables and other products for school meals
3. all waste will be recycled and composted
4. students will grow seeds and later plant trees around the school and
also in some student’s homes in their communities
The ChariTree Foundation will also support the many planned activities in schools and in
communities:
- There are planned interventions to reduce air pollution that contribute to reduce climate impact. For example, in each classroom UNICEF will prioritize air quality monitoring to sensitize children and teach about pollution and teach each teacher and student about actions to be taken when the pollution is high.
- UNICEF will work on a simple booklet to teach students on small and impactful actions on reduction of climate change. UNICEF set up a youth group to work on climate related advocacy.
The ChariTree Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and United Nations climate observer organization. Based in Greater Vancouver, this volunteer-run, grassroots non-profit supports nature-based climate education projects for children and youth across Canada and around the world.